I did a quarter of this for Conor McGregor, half of this for Brock Lesnar - Chael Sonnen slams fighters who are not main-eventers asking for pay raise
![Chael Sonnen (left), Brock Lesnar (top right), and Conor McGregor (bottom right) [Images courtesy of Getty]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/06/b4037-16555603320554-1920.jpg?w=500)
Chael Sonnen recently compared the current crop of UFC athletes to the likes of Conor McGregor and Brock Lesnar. He hit out at fighters who do not headline cards or bring in the attention that McGregor and Lesnar did but still ask for a pay raise.
'The Bad Guy' opined that the relationship between the promoter and his athletes should be a two-way street. The promotion should be able to come back and question the athletes about the value they have brought to the company.
He compared the current athletes who are being promoted by the company to superstars like Georges St-Pierre, Lesnar, and McGregor. Here's what 'The American Gangster' stated on his YouTube channel:
"The promoter should be able to come back to you and say, 'Look at all the things I have done for you. Look at all the advancements, all the market, all the money I put into you. I did that same thing to Georges St-Pierre and look what he brought in for me. I did half of this for Brock Lesnar and look what he brought in for me. I did a quarter of this for Conor McGregor and look what he's done for me. This is what I've done for you and you're still not my main event.'"
Watch Chael Sonnen compare current UFC fighters to Brock Lesnar and Conor McGregor:
Brock Lesnar and Conor McGregor changed the UFC forever
Conor McGregor and Brock Lesnar are without a doubt two of the biggest superstars to ever grace the UFC octagon. They changed the landscape of MMA as a sport in terms of popularity.
Lesnar joined the promotion back in 2008. He had a massive fan following due to his background in professional wrestling. The WWE superstar managed to attract fans who were eager to see how he would fare inside the UFC octagon. They became more invested after Lesnar won the UFC heavyweight championship.
Watch Lesnar's best moments in the UFC:
Conor McGregor, meanwhile, is the most popular star the UFC has ever had. He came in as a trash-talking Irishman whose brash personality attracted eyeballs. It helped that 'Notorious' had the fighting style and skills to turn his doubters into believers. He is a former two-division UFC champion and is the biggest pay-per-view star to ever don MMA gloves.
It's no exaggeration to state that without superstars like Lesnar and McGregor, the UFC wouldn't be where it is today.